The Dream Within
by Amber Clocke
Summary: Deep within her dreams, something calls her: a voice unknown to her and is yet strangely familiar. Sarah returns to the Labyrinth, but this time not to save her baby brother. This time, she must save the Labyrinth itself, and all within that she holds dear -even the Goblin King. It will not be a simple task, however, as something even greater binds Sarah to the heart of the maze.
1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:** Hello, and welcome to my fan fiction! This is my first ever fan fiction, so I hope anyone who reads it will enjoy it. I realize this first chapter is rather short, but trust me when I say they will lengthen as the story goes on. Right now, it's more a prologue than anything. Please leave any comments or reviews, I would greatly appreciate them!

**Chapter One: Restless **

Sarah Williams awoke with a startling jolt. Sweat coated her face; her dark hair stuck messily to her check and forehead, her heart palpitating so hard against her chest she feared it might break free of her body any moment. Whatever was in her dream was a mystery, but to give such a startling wake, she knew it couldn't be anything pleasant. A faint voice still rang softly in her ears, a familiar, yet distant sound speaking her name. There had four experiences like this one, each exactly the same and just as unclear as the first, all occurring at precisely the same hour: three a.m..

Collapsing back into the comfort of her bed, Sarah moaned, silently cursing these confusing occurrences which prevented her from getting any decent sleep. The voice grew fainter and fainter, until she could no longer hear it, and soon she drifted off once more into the realm of dreams.

† † †

It wasn't until seven in the morning that Sarah woke again, this time from the abhorrent buzzing of her alarm clock, like she did every Tuesday through Saturday. For an English major and part time barista, there were hardly enough hours for sleeping in. Lazily, she rolled out of bed to begin her busy day, which routinely began with making a cup of coffee. Following, she would dress for work, which required her extra plain white shirt, neatly ironed jeans, and a rubber band for her hair. Anyone who knew Sarah now, knew that her very ordinary outfit was an adequate representation of her lifestyle.

Sarah arrived ten minutes before her shift began as usual, and so did her friend, Amy, just a few minutes after. It was a small coffee shop that she was employed in, an insignificant little caffeine stop on the corner of a quiet street. Few customers ever came in, and the regulars that did stayed for long hours with lengthy books, and Sarah admired it. She could even say she felt comfortable, almost safe in it. For her, it was the perfect little word; everything she needed.

"Are you okay, Sarah?" Amy gingerly asked, moving aside her golden hair which Sarah so often marveled at. "You look a little down."

The two women stood behind the counter, tying on their spiral themed aprons. Sarah released a soft sigh.

"Yeah, I'm just tired," she admitted. "I didn't sleep too well last night."

"Don't tell me you had that wacky dream again," Amy worried with her brow furrowed, and her New York accent protruding only slightly from her voice. She continued after Sarah sighed yet again, "Maybe you 'oughta get checked out or something, Sarah."

"Nah," Sarah smiled, shaking her head, and looking down at her now safely fastened apron. "I don't wanna waste money at the doctor's for something as little as this."

"Well, at least take a day or two off," her friend tried to reason. "I'm sure Gary wouldn't mind…"

While Sarah was sure Gary, her boss, wouldn't mind, still she refused. She straightened out her garment, then ran a hand across her drawn-back hair.

"It's alright, Amy, I'm sure I'll be fine."

They both smiled, believing that Sarah would indeed be fine, but the day was far from over.

† † †

It was precisely at one in the afternoon that Sarah's day would go wrong. At first, all it was was a light tickling in her brain, the beginning of what she dismissed as an oncoming headache, but with time, it became worse. The solid edges of objects dematerialized to leave fuzzy colors and images imprinted in her vision. A gentle ringing, a sort of chiming bell reverberated about her eardrums, growing desperately louder by the moment, until she could hardly bare it.

She sunk to her knees without warning before Amy and several customers, her suddenly frail body throbbing with the vibrations of what her foggy mind could only interpret as some unknown force, and fear. Her friend's alarmed shouts crumbled into white noise as the world melted into a painful mix of harsh paints and faded bodies. And then, buried deep below the cerebral cortex of her brain, she heard a voice -that same voice which haunted her sleep, which rang so familiarly within her. That same voice she heard so long ago when she thought it was only a dream, and it spoke her name:

"Sarah."


	2. Chapter Two

**Author's Note:** Here's a longer chapter than the last, where things really start moving. I wanted to dive a little more into more of the Labyrinth and its alternate routes, since I'm sure Sarah had hardly gone through half of that enormous place, so I enjoyed writing for that very much, and I hope you will enjoy reading it as well. Comments/reviews are very welcome.

**Chapter Two: What Lurks in the Darkness**

Peaches. That was the first thought to come to Sarah's hazy mind when she arose from her slumber. All was silent, and all was still. Straining to see through blurred vision, her surroundings gradually improved into clearer figures with sharper edges. Oddly enough, the scent of peaches faded, and Sarah discovered she laid on the grounds of a forest. A forest where everything was an ominous black; the column trees which towered like hooded silhouettes, the withered leaves upon them, the soil like hard ash which dirtied Sarah's jeans and shirt, everything. There was no sky, no horizon to look to. There was only darkness.

Feeling her stomach sink in, and butterflies grow within, she forced her courage (what little of it she had left) to overtake her fear, and pulled herself to her feet. Balance was difficult to keep at first, but her legs soon remembered how to function. From there she walked, perturbed by the anomalous atmosphere, not at all sure of where she was, or where she would end up. She only prayed that this woodland would not hold anything living as augural as it appeared.

"Hello…?" She attempted to call out with a shaking voice.

There was no reply.

On and on she traveled without seeing the slightest change in scenery until her eyes grew weary of it, and her feet became heavy, beginning to trudge as opposed to walk, leaving a trail of kicked-up black dirt. The air was viscid, dense with s bitter fragrance nauseating to Sarah's nose. Every once in a while she would look sharply to the side, believing to have seen something through the corner of her eye, but disregarding it after checking and finding nothing. Sound was practically nonexistent. With the exception of her tired breathing, Sarah heard nothing. No birds, no wind, no life of any kind, and then she heard it: a rustle.

Instantly she froze in place, her heart now pounding harshly against her chest as adrenaline rushed through her alarmingly. Without daring to exhale, she cautiously turned toward the source of the noise, only to find nothing yet again. But before her heart could settle, it was there again! She whipped around, now breathing heavily, the blood pumping wildly in her veins.

It came again, this time from behind, then again to her left, then again, and again, and again until it was all around her, creating such a racket she had to clamp her hands over her ears. She staggered, not knowing where to run or what to do until she stumbled to the ground in a daze. Dirt flew into her eyes with the collapse, blinding her.

Something seized her arm and she screamed. It hauled her momentarily across the surface until she was suddenly lifted. The rustling began to die out with the rushing wind against her body, and the thick air cleared. Her eyesight began to return until she could just barely make out a light. Her head still spun furiously, too afraid now to call out for help, and then-

Nothing.

† † †

"Sarah?"

Sarah rose to her name with her head still throbbing. At first, all she saw was a vaguely familiar wall staring down at her, decorated in dusty dead plants and peculiar markings. When she raised her eyes to look ahead, an incredible joy filled her.

"Hoggle!"

The dwarf ran to aid Sarah, who hastily pulled him into an unexpected embrace the moment she could. It was an understatement to say she was relieved to see a such friendly face, but she also was reassuring herself that he was real. And to her comfort, he was.

"Wha…What're you doin' here, Sarah?" Hoggle asked with widened eyes as he pulled away, still keeping his hand on her arm. "You didn't call for so long…"

Still on her aching knees, she felt her heart dive into her stomach as she searched for some reasonable explanation. There was none.

"I don't know, I…I guess I just forgot…" she hung her head, heavy with shame. "Oh, Hoggle, I'm so sorry."

She lifted her eyes once more to see the gentle smile over his wrinkly face. Everything about him was just as she remembered: the simple red cap placed firmly upon his broad head, the over-exaggerated dimensions of his nose and eyebrows, the bagginess of his loose shirt and oddly decorated vest, even the clunkiness of his dirty ruby shoes. He was a pleasing sight indeed, except for the faint gleam of sadness in his dull eyes.

"It's alright, you wouldn't be the first," he shrugged limply, his hand leaving her arm. "Though I still ain't clear as to how and why you're here…"

Sitting up, Sarah sighed and admitted, "Honestly, I don't know. One minute I was at work having a normal day, the next I was stuck in this never-ending black forest, and after that I _really_ don't know what happened."

"Black forest?" Hoggle repeated, furrowing his bushy brows. "You mean the Forever Forest?"

"It sure seemed like forever," she recalled the hypnotic infinity of identical trees, the chilling lack of color altogether, and the rustling. "And there were these…things everywhere making so much noise I could hardly bare it."

Recognizing her description, the little man gave a concise nod, and continued grimly.

"That's the Forever, alright. One of the Labyrinth's worst, if you ask me. It's on the west side, though all that noise you heard was fake, just sound to scare you. Nothin' more."

Now feeling awfully silly for her overreaction, Sarah cleared throat and brushed off any remaining black dirt before standing, although her previously white shirt was now thoroughly stained and no longer plain.

"How'd you get outta there, by the way?" Hoggle asked, looking up at her. "It ain't exactly easy."

Sarah strained to educe the vague and already fading memory.

"I remember…something carried me out," she was almost whispering in her recollection. "I saw a light, and then everything went black."

"Sounds troublesome if you ask me, I think-"

But their conversation was interrupted by an erratic trembling in the ground. Sarah and Hoggle both careened hurriedly from side to side in attempt to retain their balance. Fortunately, the tremor lasted only a moment.

"What was that?" Sarah gasped, catching her breath. "An earthquake?"

"Of sorts. Follow me," he gestured over his shoulder. "It ain't safe out here no more."

† † †

Hoggle led her hurriedly along the Labyrinth wall, passing bare tree and brown shrubs for sometime before Hoggle turned them away from the wall. The scenery altered into a slightly greener one. Grass began to sprinkle the ground increasingly until it became a lofty, swaying, and boundless plain. Peculiar spiral-bent trees presented themselves every so often, glittering in the sun by the star flowers peppering its crooked branches. It was a capturing sight for Sarah, recalling her own world which lacked any creativity such as this. Soon they reached their destination: Hoggle's home.

There, cushioned by soft dirt and thin patches of grass, it sat peacefully amongst the vast plain; the little house with the crooked roof. It was half the size of an average, one-story home, and about the length of her apartment. As much as she admired the charming exterior of it, the concerning thought of how well her dimensions would fit in such a small building lurked in the back of her head.

"Ah, home sweet home," Hoggle announced proudly. "It ain't much, but it's enough."

She followed him through the front door, and upon entering, her spirit lifted. It was almost like a doll-house of a fairytale world, and it was wonderful. In the corner, a neatly made bed covered by a colorful, patched blanket laid, and to the right a small kitchen area shined by the sunlight through a large square window. A wide armchair waited quietly to provide comfort beside a skinny bookshelf in which a few odd tools were held, and a content table with matching chairs stood center of the room. Although, it wasn't until after she saw all this that something compelling caught her eye. Hanging delicately from the ceiling were half a dozen tear shaped glass containers, like large vials, scattered about the room. They were about the size of a book, and glowed warmly with a deep gold.

"I think it's wonderful, Hoggle," Sarah gleamed, still dazzled by the glowing tears. "Have you always lived here?"

"Ever since I can remember. Take a seat, I'll fetch some water."

As the dwarf had offered, Sarah took a seat, feeling just a bit out of place at the stubby table, while Hoggle poured two glasses of water.

"How's Ludo, and Sir Didymus?" Sarah asked.

"As well as can be during these times," he returned with the waters, which Sarah hastily downed immediately. "I haven't seen them much lately since it hasn't been safe out. Though I think that scruffy fox is taking the 'challenge' of it all a bit too lightheartedly."

"So what _is_ going on? Why is everything so dangerous?"

With a heavy sigh and a short drink, Hoggle began.

"It's the Labyrinth, something's wrong with it. It was about a year after you beat Jareth that it began acting up: the weather started to change unexpectedly, and dangerously. Then places started to crack, perfectly fine buildings would fall to ruin, including the walls of the maze. But it wasn't until people started perishing that things _really_ got out of hand."

"Perishing?" Sarah echoed, her eyes wide in alarm. "You mean people just started dying?"

"More like vanishing. They die, and their bodies just…disappear," he looked down at his now trembling hands. "The thing is, we ain't supposed to die, Sarah. Not like this, anyhow."

Silent for a long moment, Sarah watched the fear grow rapidly in his eyes, and gently laid her hand securely on his own quivering one.

"What about Jareth?" she delicately asked, hesitant to speak the name.

Again Hoggle sighed, "Didymus says he has a plan, but I wouldn't trust a single vowel that comes from that man's mouth. I reckon he's just as lost as the rest of us."

Sarah released his hand in thought, but still kept it close. She was reluctant to speak, knowing what she must do, but fear had begun oozing regrettably into her heart.

"Hoggle, I promise I will do everything I can to help," she said without the slightest waver in her voice, despite how much her soul was shaking.

"What?" his head lifted instantly. "No! You can't stay here, Sarah! Who knows what might happen to you if you do, especially with everything the way it is. Not to mention how Jareth'll react."

Sarah smiled, "Don't worry about me. Besides, I don't know how to get back home, so what choice do I have?"

**Author's Note:** Sit tight for Jareth, because I can guarantee he'll be in the next chapter.


	3. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three: The Last Hope For A Falling King**

The air was cold and stiff within the castle walls. It was hardly a place for comfort to be sought in, but it was enough for Jareth to be content in, as it always had been. It was home.

Through the hallways he roamed, consumed by deep thoughts and, although he would never admit it, anxiety. He knew the Labyrinth in and out like he did his own body, and felt its decaying strength like it was a dying dove in his arms which he could not save. It was unbearable to watch his world collapse around him, and he knew it was only a matter of time before he, too, would shatter with it. But then again, he always knew this would come eventually. Nothing lasts forever.

With his hands held limply behind his back, the Goblin King paced fluently without the slightest sound, despite how vociferous his thoughts were. He considered taking flight over his Labyrinth to see what new disasters had arisen, but with the weather so unpredictable, he decided against it. If he were to get caught in a thunderstorm, the consequences would undeniably be dire. Within, his wings ached from not being stretched in so long, and the castle walls were too confining for his bird form to feel satisfied.

A spiral staircase met him at the end of the hall, and he began to turn his heel, but just as he took one step forward, he froze instantly in place. Suddenly, there was something…a feeling, a presence, an intruder. In an instant a crystal ball materialized in his hand, and he stared fiercely into its depths, commanding it to reveal what he had felt.

At first there was only black, and the soft reflection of his disparate eyes, and then an image began to assemble. He saw a forest, a black forest: the Forever Forest. It was a place he had lingered often in, and one he knew well, but what he did not recognize was the strange girl wandering across its soil. She was a young girl, barely twenty, and in simple clothes clearly not from his world. Her thick, dark hair was tied back and blended into the background, forcing her pale skin to project brightly as if she were glowing.

Watching her intently, he strained to place where he had seen her before, and who she was, but it was not until he saw her eyes that he knew _exactly_ who she was. Those luscious, emerald eyes that haunted him so. They set a storm within his heart which raged throughout him in anger. She was the last thing he expected, and ever wanted to see. It was as if she was mocking him with her presence at such a severe time as this.

Swiftly he made his way toward the throne room, hastily contemplating as to why Sarah Williams was roaming about his Labyrinth uninvited.

"She'd hardly last long there…" he unknowingly told himself aloud just as he entered the room littered with hushed goblins in which his throne was held. The goblins had not been as rambunctious as they used to be, not since the first goblin passed away, and although he enjoyed the quiet, it was a depressing sight.

After fighting with himself for some time on a decision, he begrudgingly announced his presence to his subjects.

"I"m going out," he impatiently told them. His consonants sliced through the silence of the thin air like a sharp blade. His mere existence chilled the room.

A few goblins attempted to persuade him otherwise, but he dismissively threw them aside and proceed to a nearby window. His mind was too enraged to care for an unpredictable weather change. The sight of his enemy had sparked an indistinguishable flame that spread like a wild fire through his bones. She should not be there -she _could_ not. Not without _his_ permission. Not unless…but that was impossible. Fading majestically into his owl form, every conclusion he came to backfired with the realistic impossibility of it. She was here for a reason, that much he was sure of.

Perching on the window ledge, he shuttered at the icy stone beneath his talons, and the frigid wind ruffling his wings. Bending down, he perceived the prodigious Labyrinth below him, and with a forceful kick spread his wings wide, letting the wind carry him down in the air.

Aiming for the west side of the maze where the black mass that was the Forever Forest was visible, Jareth once again returned his thoughts on his intruder issue, as well as how freeing it was to expand his wings after so long. There was little time left, and Sarah's arrival surely had purpose, but that purpose remained a mystery to greatly infuriate the king.

The Forever Forest was scarcely a mile off, now. Screams echoed through the atmosphere, a woman's screams. Silently chuckling at her frightened ignorance, he dove straight down toward the source like a bullet until darkness engulfed him, and he was in the Forever. In an instant, his wings shifted to slow and hovered above a cowering young girl crying out for help form nothing. All was silent except her pleads and the beating of his wings.

"Fool," he uttered in his head. It was pitiful to watch, but he could not help but be amused it as well. After all these years, it was a pleasure to see his doom cowering in fear of her own consciousness.

However, he knew well enough that this entertainment could not go on forever (although it was fulfilling while it lasted), and so with his talons at the ready, in one elegant swoop he glided toward her, and snatched her by the arm. The magic within flowed like a raging river throughout his blood stream. She was as light as a feather, but her struggling and tantrum made it difficult to fly, and he would not be able to hold her forever. But the higher they rose, the more her screams died out until he soon realized she had fainted.

From his claws, Sarah hung lifelessly like a helpless puppet, and Jareth began sensing his strength petering out gradually. The perfect place came to mind, and he altered his direction slightly south-east toward the entrance of the Labyrinth. The thought of dropping her came to mind; she was so vulnerable, so willing, so open to death, but he needed information. The savior of his world was more important than the death of his antagonist, despite how tempting the latter was. If there was a chance to save his world, he would take it, no matter the consequences.

The gate approached quickly, looking increasingly bare, and decayed, since last he saw it a few days ago. He felt his heart wilt at the sight of it. He came close enough to the ground to gently lay Sarah against the dusty dirt. Unstirred, she remained there as he watched her cautiously, half expecting her to wake, but she did not. It was as if she were dead, which he might have believed if it were not for the scarce movement in her chest. Everything about her seemed the same, except for…something. Perhaps her pulled back hair, he thought to himself, or the minuscule shallowness of her cheeks.

Thinking of it no more, he heard the approaching footsteps of someone he could only assume was the dwarf, whose name escaped him still; he quickly took off, leaving the young woman far below him, and made his way back to the castle with new determination to find answers.

† † †

The castle was just as Jareth had left it: bleak, aphasic, and unwelcoming. Arriving at the window he had taken off from, the king returned to his natural self, storming past the unmoved goblins and up several flights of stairs to his chamber. His chamber, his solitary enclosure, his place of privacy and secrets, was curiously enough the brightest room in the castle. It was his sanctuary. All around, orbs very much like his crystals levitated serenely at a slow, individual pace, reflecting the sun's light and bronze color of the room to look like floating candles. The light was let in from a large, open window overlooking all of the Goblin City and a ether part of the Labyrinth. An expansive bed sat against the back wall carrying silver sheets and little dust from its lack of use. A desk, and several abundantly filled bookshelves were the last furnishes in the room.

Jareth halted in the entrance, feeling the room's fragile warmth and comforting embrace, before calmly proceeding to his bed and waving his door shut, and locked. Sleep was something he had done scarcely over the last few years, and not always by intention, but it was something he would be forced to do now. Connecting to the soul of the Labyrinth was not an easy task, and could only be done when the mind was silent and the soul entirely relaxed.

Wiping the dust from the sheets, Jareth had already begun calming his mind and mentally preparing for the connection. He rested himself on the mattress and gazed up at the unembellished ceiling, which, with time, grew less and less blank, and rather into a hazy backdrop. An orb hovered into view with an unclear light which grew into a murky illumination seeking to consume the king's sight.

Fresh grass. A scent Jareth was all too familiar with. The overwhelming captivation of the heavenly fragrance was enough to suffocate him, and grant him a sweet death. It was what he was now standing in: a field of fresh grass. And yet he was not, it was only the pure imagination of his esoteric consciousness, and not reality. From there he walked, knowing well that it was only a matter of time before the Labyrinth would show him what was necessary. A small hill produced itself, which Jareth climbed with ease, but it was what lay beyond it that stopped the king in his tracks.

There, sitting quietly, tranquilly, and untouched was his Labyrinth. His home. His life. It was as it had always been since the beginning, as if the last five years had been wiped entirely from existence. A figure drew his attention away from the maze. Two, in fact, a man and a woman. Himself and his foe. Looking at his reflection first, he noticed his skin was no longer an unhealthy pale, that the bags beneath his eyes had vanished, and a look of relief seemed to embellish his face. On the other hand, Sarah appeared as she was the first time he had ever saw her, prancing about the bleak park in her white dress and flower crown. She was smiling, as seemingly innocent as ever, with her hand outstretched toward his duplicate who, with no reluctance whatsoever, accepted it. Of course the real king was not so at ease.

"Impossible…" he uttered beneath his breath to an unseen force. "She cannot mend what she has broken. She's an arrogant, ignorant, irresponsible child, and she always will be."

The image of Sarah turned toward the real him, her eyes burning with the same saturation of the rich grass. The smile remained.

"Do not make me…" he pleaded to the sky.

Then she turned again, away from them both, and walked off, slowly fading from the vision. The other Jareth now looked distressed with his hand extended from where it had been abandoned, and soon he, too, faded.

Jareth's mind stirred uneasily, interpreting the scene as best as he could, and suddenly he was back in his chamber, alone, and the scent of grass was gone. A crystal formed in his hand and Sarah appeared in its reflection, sitting uncomfortably at too small of a table with a troubled look of distress, and a hint of what seemed to be sorrow. She was with Hodgehead…or Hogwarts…No doubt he was telling her everything. The thought of working together with the one person he despised most gave him regrettable ulcers, but if he understood the Labyrinth's soul correctly, it was what he would have to do. At least there was still hope…

**Author's Note: I will admit I had a hard time writing this chapter. I'm still getting used to writing as Jareth, so please bare with me.**

**To **_**Honoria Granger**_**, thank you very much for the kind words, I'm very glad you're looking forward to what happens next and I hope it continues to be as the story progresses!**


	4. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four: The Secret of Dreams**

Back in Hoggle's charming abode, Hoggle had made soup for him and his very weary guest. Without question of what it was, Sarah practically down the bowl in one gulp. She was hungrier than she thought, and was certainly exhausted, but above all she was scared. Terrified, not only for the fate of the Labyrinth, but also for herself and everyone Above who cared for her. Scraping the bottom of her bowl, Hoggle noticed her concern, and spoke softly to her, still eating.

"Don't fret, Sarah," he smiled. "With you here, I'm sure we can fix the Labyrinth."

She tried to return the smile, but her mood was not much improved.

"I certainly hope so," she sighed. "But, Hoggle…What about my family? They must be worried sick, and haven't a clue what happened to me."

"Maybe things won't turn out so bad," he reassured her, although there was little confidence in her voice. "You can't take anything' for granted, you know."

Sarah admired her friend for trying, and was grateful for his hospitality.

"You're right," her smile brightened, wanting to wipe away any concern he had for her. "Thank you."

An idea came to mind, one she was by no means proud of, but the longer the thought of it, the more necessary it seemed to become. Very reluctantly she spoke up.

"We should see Jareth."

Hoggle nearly choked on his soup.

"You can't be serious!" he exclaimed with bulging eyes.

"I don't like it either, but I _am_ serious. Hoggle, I don't even know where to begin in trying to help," she explained. "Surely Jareth knows more than the both of us."

Hoggle shook his large head.

"Even if he did, which I doubt, what makes you think he'd tell us? Let alone accept any offer of help."

"Well, we can't just sit around and do nothing," again she sighed. "We have to start somewhere…even if it _is_ the Goblin City."

It was Hoggle's turn to sigh, and pushed away his bowl. "Well, no matter what we do, I think a good rest is in order first."

"I think you're right," Sarah agreed with a wide yawn.

Hoggle was kind enough to give her his bed, which she could only fit in if she curled into a ball, holding her knees to her chest. Hoggle took the armchair, who snored rhythmically throughout the night and kept Sarah awake. Outside, the wind fluctuated in speed and voleme frequently, unpredictably, as did the colors of the glass files. She wished she had had the chance to grab her earplugs, or earmuffts, at least, before she was involuntarily hauled into the Labyrinth. All she needed was a warning or a sign that this would happen, and maybe she would have been prepared. She sighed. Still, she was here now, and that was that.

Soon, it dawned on her that it was awfully quiet all of a sudden -too quiet. The howling wind had silenced. The glasses had stopped humming. Hoggle was no longer snoring. It was as if the world was frozen, and time had ceased. Warily, Sarah left the bed and crept toward the window. Out in the field, about a yard from the house, a burning white light shone powerfully above a menacing black hole. It blinded Sarah, but the longer she strained to see, she could make out the scarce outline of a figure standing within the light. Unknowingly driven by some anonymous force, Sarah rushed out of the house and toward the phenomenon. The grass beneath her bare feet chilled her to the bone, but she did not slow down in the slightest until she was a mere few feet from the anomaly. She heard her name. The figure was still unclear, but it stretched its arms, the arms of a man, toward her. Sarah tried to call out, but her voice had vanished. Between his hands, something began to entify. It was a crown, a golden crown. Upon its face was a shape, a sort of curved arrow holding a bronze jewel in its center. Around them, the wind began to pick up once more, increasing rapidly in its pace. Below, the ominous hole seemed to moan, and growl hungrily at the people above it. Through the now roaring air, Sarah heard her name yet again from the stranger, pleading for her to take the crown. She reached, but she could not grasp it. He called again, she inched forward. The pit snarled like a vicious beast. She could not reach it! It was just beyond her straining fingertips, he was now crying her name, and then-!

She fell.

**Author's Note: First of all, I profoundly apologize for the tardiness of this chapter, and its short length, I hope that this will never happen again but I won't get my hopes up. We all have schedules, and mine has gotten out of control recently, so thank you for your patience, and I hope I haven't disappointed anyone too much. Secondly, I apologize for the cliff hangers, I do not mean to write them, but sometimes they are just more convenient with how I write. I've been having some troubles with the storyline, but this is the chapter where more of a story, and "ultimate goal," you could say, begins to appear. Please, enjoy, and I will try my best to get the next chapter up soon.**


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